Japan and Life

Finding Plus-Sized Clothes in Japan

May 8, 2019

Well, this post has been a long time coming!

Nobody asked, but I’m here to deliver some insider news on where to get plus-sized clothes in Japan. I also have some suggestions on how to find plus-sized clothing brands and how to get the best fit for your clothes!

Sound interesting?

Then let’s get started!

When I first came to Japan, I thought it would be hard to find clothes in my size. And it was! Mainly because I didn’t know where to look. So, first I want to give you some tips on how to show and then how to find these places before I give a few examples of brands that sell plus sized clothing.

Tip #1 (and arguably the most important)- TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS

I cannot stress this enough when you are doing your shopping. It doesn’t matter where the brand you are shopping from originates number sizes usually differ between brands and countries. The best way to avoid confusion and get an accurate idea of if something will fit is to take your measurements and refer to them.

Sometimes you’ll run across brands that have cute clothes but might only do the dreaded FREESIZE. However, if you have your measurements, you’ll be able to tell if you can fit or not. Same for clothes with stretchy bands or loose fits that might not be labeled as plus-sized.

I do this in the US; I do this in Japan; I do this for UK brands like ASOS. If I’m shopping online, I’m checking those measurements. And I suggest you do too.

Tip #2 – La Farfa Magazine

La Farfa (https://lafarfa.jp/) is Japan’s most prominent (only?) plus-sized focused magazine. I believe it releases every two months. This magazine is great because it is focused on showcases various styles of plus-sized fashion and on different body types. Whether you like the trends shown there or not, this is still a great reference because it lists brands that carry larger sizes. From there you can look up these brands (and most have online stores) and voila! Clothes on clothes on clothes.

This magazine is also great because it comes with makeup freebies and there’s no fat shaming, focus on weight loss, etc. It’s all about you living your best life and being cute while doing it. I’m with it.

Tip #3 – Instagram

Instagram can be your best friend. I use it to find delicious looking places to eat when I go out of town, but it can also be used to find a plethora of plus-sized fashion brands. How? Follow plus sized people or the right hashtags, and you’ll never run out of ideas.

(You can also follow me on Instagram here. I don’t post my outfits yet, but I’m about to start, and I have a lot of Japan pictures already. I also post about studying for the N1 which isn’t related to this but dammit I’m going to self-plug anyway.)

A lot of people who post, have no issues posting their measurements or at the very least where they bought items. Some of my favorites to follow are:

I love how detailed her posts are, and I like her style. She also updates her IG stories every day and blogs a lot with info on how the fabric of something is and why it is the right choice for someone with a little extra weight. Definitely a good resource.

Brands

Uniqlo sizes range from XS to XXXL. Sometimes some of their pant or skirt styles will only go up to an XXL, but if the band is stretchy, it might still work. I think Uniqlo is an excellent place to get a lot of staples and they have sales often. Prices vary.

This shop carries sizes LL-4L. I would say this store is on the higher end of this list. Dresses, skirts, and pants are going to range from 3,500 to 6,000 yen typically. However, they offer everything from underwear to jackets to swimsuits. Styles range from casual to dressy. *Also has physical locations

Carries sizes up to a 10L, however not all styles are available in larger forms. You would have to check the style or filter when you search, but that’s not too bad. Can find underwear through regular clothing. Prices go from about 1,400 yen and up!

A post shared by 【公式】noannu (@noannnu_jp) on Apr 11, 2019 at 2:58am PDT

This shop carries sizes LL-4L. Prices range from about 1,300 yen and up, though you can find things on sale on the website for as low as 500 yen! This store is also sometimes located within Aeon stores. Not all of them, but if you check the site, you might be able to find a location.

Belluna/RyuRyu also carries a variety of styles of clothing from casual to dressy. Sizes start at a regular S and go all the way through to about a 6L. This is another site where not all styles are available in large sizes, but if you filter the results by size, you still have a ton of options. Prices go from below 1,000 and get higher from there.

A post shared by clette(クレット) (@clette_official) on May 7, 2019 at 11:52pm PDT

Offers sizes LL-4L. Clette offers clothing that ranges from casual to dressy. On average you’re going to spend about 3,000 yen for an article of clothing. It’s worth noting that Clette offers world shipping straight from their regular site.

Rakuten has many places that sell plus size clothing. A lot of these stores are also available on Rakuten as well. This means you can get points or, if you live overseas, might be able to purchase and have it shipped EMS.

If it isn’t a brand that you have bought before, I definitely recommend checking the measurements and also reading the reviews (if you read Japanese) for the clothes that you’re thinking about buying.

Okay. Did you find this helpful?

My next clothing post will be about my favorite place to get shoes since I wear a size 26.

But until then, I hope you check out some of these shops and let me know what you think!

Don’t forget to follow me HERE on Instagram or HERE on Twitter to stay up to date with my adventures.